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Juliej
06-10-2003, 10:21 AM
My mother in law is looking to get a car seat for my toddler to put in her car. She has latch attachments in her car. If we get a latch compatible car seat, does that make it easier for her to get it in and out on her own? Or do they still need to be professional installed/checked?

Basically, she wants flexibility (if possible) to remove the car seat fairly often if she needs the space in her car. I don't have a latch seat so I wasn't sure if that makes it easy just to snap it back in at the same tightness, or whether you still need to reinstall it each time. Anyone know?

CPSDarren
06-10-2003, 12:26 PM
In many cases, LATCH does make it easier to install a carseat. In some cases it makes it more difficult and in some cases it makes it extremely easy, too. It varies a lot by carseat and vehicle.

In any case, you might as well get a LATCH compatible carseat. Most of them are compatible now, and it always gives you another option for installation. You will still be able to install with a seatbelt if you need to do so.

A model with "flexible" lower LATCH straps still requires some time, but usually less than seatbelts. In many vehicles, a model with "rigid" lower LATCH attachments can make it snap in very quickly.

There are still cases where LATCH is more difficult than seatbelts, and in a few cases it won't work at all. So, it's always a good idea to have your carseat checked if you are unsure about the fit.

Also:

http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html


I hope that helps!